A collection of newsworthy information as reported from newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Political Campaigns Expect Volunteers to Work for Free – That Isn’t Right!

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Republicans - you are applying for a job - pay all of your employees and independent contractors.

Sheldon Adelson, a casino and hotel magnate with a net worth of $21.5 billion, donates $5 million to “super PAC” – Winning Our Future for Newt Gingrich.The super PAC spent millions on a 27 min. film – “When Romney Came To Town” to be aired in South Carolina.Spending money on TV advertisement, billboard, and yard signs, shouldn’t be a Campaign’s only expense when they expect free labor.

Every campaign looks for “boots on the ground” and telemarketers to help construct their grassroots effort.People, young and old, are asked to volunteer countless hours helping with their get out the vote initiatives.These people go uncompensated.They aren’t provided with documentation that places a value on their time to be included on their tax returns.Are campaigns doing anything to help with unemployment?

Mitt Romney, a rich man valued at 200 billion dollars, has received campaign contributions and super Pac’s worth millions of dollars and yet doesn’t offer to pay all of his volunteers to help him seek a new job as President.South Carolina has an unemployment rate of over 9 percent. The Romney campaign could hire thousands of people for the 15 days leading up to the primary.You have 6 Republicans competing for the same job and each could be hiring people instead of asking people to work for free.Instead of free labor, the campaigns could be paying independent contractors with a 1099 form.Contractors can receive up to $600 each and this would be a short term stimulus to South Carolina’s economy.

Politicians should pay people for their work and stop expecting free labor.People are out of work and the high unemployment rate necessitates compensation.